With all of the chaos going on in our world it seems that every patient or patient's parent is feeling a lot of stress right now. The most interesting thing is that children are quite intuitive and pick up on the stress around them, from parents and teachers to friends, and even from the background conversations playing on radio and TV.
It certainly seems that it is quite difficult to get away from all of this right now. For school age children (grades one - 12), and even the college set, one semester over and gearing up for the next half of the year and mid-term exams are just around the corner. It is just a tough month.
From headaches to stomach aches, and sleeplessness to fatigue and anxiety, these symptoms may all be a manifestation of stress. The best way to help stress is to acknowledge it and then figure out how to face it in a healthy manner.
Deep breathing exercises, yoga, meditation, and even listening to your favorite music are all good ways to relax and unwind. A good way to de-stress as a family? No TV after dinner. Play a game, talk to each other, go to the YMCA or the gym as a family. This is the perfect time to get those endorphins flowing with positive energy, and exercise is a great way to do that.
Put the cellphone away (you and your kids) no distractions because you may miss something! A walk with your family is free, and you might be amazed how much better everyone feels at the end of their day.
That's your daily dose, we'll chat tomorrow. How do you deal with stress? Let me know...would love to share your success story!
Dr.
Sue Hubbard is an award winning pediatrician and medical editor for
www.kidsdr.com. She is a native of Washington, D.C. who travelled south
to attend the University of Texas at Austin and never left. 
